UWI author, historian and political scientist Mehmet Perinçek evaluated the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 16.
Exceptionally close
How do you evaluate the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in Beijing in general?
Recently, there has been an exceptionally close relationship between China and Russia. After the presidential election, Xi Jinping visited Russia, and Putin did the same.
Beyond this, this visit holds great importance not only for Moscow and Beijing but for the entire world. The unipolar world is coming to an end and US hegemony is in decline. In parallel, a multipolar world and a new world order are emerging, with China and Russia being among the most important countries in this new order. Therefore, the decisions made during this visit and the subsequent development of relations do not only concern these two countries, but are also of great significance for all countries facing American and Western aggression. I suppose this Xi-Putin meeting was followed with great interest in Palestine, as well as by those in Africa striving for freedom.
Opportunities opening up for Türkiye
As for Türkiye, the development of China-Russia relations and the weakening of the US open up opportunities for Türkiye. Türkiye is confronting American and Western aggression in Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Aegean and Thrace. Türkiye should clearly see the opportunities available in the case it aligns with China and Russia in the face of US threats. This is crucial both for Türkiye’s national security and for overcoming the current economic crisis.
De-dollarized trade
Trade between China and Russia is almost entirely de-dollarized, conducted almost entirely in national currencies. This was recently announced by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. This is not only good news for Russians and Chinese but for all the world’s peoples. Türkiye is also among the countries that have suffered significant harm from dollar hegemony.
As China and Russia come together, they are also providing a platform for other countries to cooperate. These two countries are leading members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS. These are very important organizations for a multipolar world. Considering all this, we can interpret the meeting as the beginning of a new civilization and a new era.
The global confrontation
The two countries have announced the establishment of a “strategic partnership coordination”. What does this mean for war zones around the world?
I want to draw attention to the new aid package of the US. Yes, this package includes aid to Israel and Ukraine, but also to Taiwan. This shows us that the world outside the US and the collective West has a common fate. Referring to President Erdoğan’s statement, “Israel not only attacks Palestinians, but also targets Türkiye”. So, it means that by providing an aid package to Israel, the US is also assisting Israel’s aggression towards Türkiye, just as it provokes Ukraine against Russia and Taiwan against China. Lessons must be drawn from this. All these war and tension zones are part of the global confrontation.
For Gaza
In this context, the cooperation between Moscow and Beijing could lead to significant steps in Gaza. Hamas visits Moscow almost every month. We know of China’s efforts to bring Hamas and the Palestinian Liberation Organization together. The stance of Russia and China in the recent war in Gaza has once again shown everyone that this issue is not only a matter for the Islamic and Arab world but a front in the global confrontation. Maybe the stance of these two countries are also telling us that Islamic countries need to take more advanced and courageous steps.
China’s peace proposal
Regarding Ukraine, China has a peace proposal and mediation initiatives. Russia has openly stated that it views China’s proposal most favorably among all. Sergei Lavrov explained the reason, stating that China’ proposal addresses the root of the problem, which is Western aggression and NATO’s eastward expansion. Indeed, if this point is overlooked, the problem cannot be resolved.
The West has worked hard to get China to take steps against Russia in Ukraine. The US has recognized that it cannot defeat China and Russia if they act together. Trump tried to pull Russia to his side and isolate China. Biden has tried the other way around. But these efforts have failed, despite all sanctions and blackmail. The stance of Russia and China against unilateral sanction policies serves as an example for the entire world.
Xi’s Europe visit
Xi Jinping made an extensive visit to Europe before this meeting. What would you say about it?
I believe that moves like Xi Jinping’s Europe visits and China-Russia cooperation will also save Europe. Europe has completely surrendered to the US’s plans with the war in Ukraine. Before this, thoughts like “forming an independent pole” and “establishing a European army” were being voiced in Europe. However, with the war in Ukraine, Europe has almost entirely lost its sovereignty. We know that this situation has harmed the European people and industry the most, and how sanctions against Russia have damaged the economy.
The multipolar world led by Russia and China and the decline of the US will inevitably lead to the awakening of European people and the weakening and fall of pro-American governments in Europe.
Slovakia, Serbia, Hungary
In this context, Xi Jinping’s visits to Serbia and Hungary, the atmosphere there, and the agreements were noteworthy. You can better understand the importance of these visits through the comments in the Western media.
The assassination attempt on the Slovak Prime Minister seemed like a response to this. Because the Slovak Prime Minister was the leader who got along best with Orban and Vucic in Europe. Hungary and Slovakia, with their characteristic of not submitting to US policies and pursuing their own sovereign policies, are almost the black sheep within NATO and the European Union.
A center of attraction
The US clearly saw that Europe could slip out of its control. When Europe realizes its own interests, it will distance itself from the US. We see examples of this in Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia. There are also strong voices in this direction in Germany and France, like Rassemblement National and AfD. The assassination attempt was also a message to both Vucic and Orban.
In this respect, we can make this observation: As Russia and China assert more influence in political, military and economic fields, they will create a center of attraction.